Geneva school candidates see finances as major challenge

The five people running for the Geneva school board agree on many things.

"I think our community will be well-served by anyone who is elected," incumbent David Lamb said at a recent candidates forum.

Incumbents Bill Wilson, Mark Grosso, Lamb and Leslie Juby seek re-election. The fifth candidate, Taylor Egan, ran for the board in 2015.

Grosso, the board president, has been on the board for eight years. Wilson has served since 2001, Juby is finishing her second term and Lamb is in his first term.

When asked what they see as the district's biggest challenge, several said money. Like school board candidates throughout the suburbs, they worry about what will happen if the state limits the property taxes they collect, or shifts the state's part of teacher pension funding to school districts.

"Clearly the state of Illinois and other funding mechanisms are going to prove to be a challenge the next four years," Lamb said.

"I think our challenges are really at the state level for our district," Grosso said. "We have gotten a good grasp on the debt we currently have." And even if a property tax levy or rate freeze is enacted, tax bills could still increase, because such measures would not affect the amount collected to repay debt, he said.

Wilson noted much would depend on the type and length of a freeze. Would it be a two-year freeze, he asked? And would it be a levy or rate freeze? Even with a frozen rate actual dollars could increase if property values went up.

"We have seen such major curriculum changes over the last five years in education. We are faced with the challenge of building the 21st century classroom," and questions about financing complicate that, Juby said.

Lamb was heavily involved in the district's unsuccessful efforts to get the city of Geneva to not create a new tax increment financing district. The school district estimates it will miss out on collecting as much as $7 million over the 23-year life of the TIF, if property values improve.

The city argued properties in the TIF were in danger of becoming blighted and losing value. Lamb recently said the assessed value of property in the district increased 5.6 percent in 2016.

"I think it is upsetting because you see money being diverted away from our schools at the state and federal level. We have a job to make sure additional local funds are not diverted away from our district," Egan said.

Lamb said if property taxes are frozen, he would look to spend down some of the district's reserve funds, to maintain educational and extracurricular activities.

Wilson said the district could end up stretching its list of maintenance projects, from a five-year plan to seven years.

Juby said if a freeze passes, the state "is basically saying if you want to maintain or grow programs, you are going to have to go to referendum."

Transgender issue

Juby, Lamb, Wilson and Grosso said they support the district's current practice on dealing with transgender students on a case-by-case basis to see if students want to use restrooms for the sex with which they identity, or use unisex facilities.

Egan supported that, but suggested the district should develop a written policy. "I think the ultimate goal for every school board is to ensure every student comes to school and does not experience discrimination. It is going to be a community effort to figure out what that policy would look like."

Juby opposes having a government agency provide school-choice vouchers and charter schools. "I have a problem any time we are talking about moving public money to a private or for-profit school, when they aren't held to the same (academic) standards we are," Juby said.

Lamb and Grosso said they are pro choice. Lamb said he suspects most Geneva residents would still choose to attend public schools.

Wilson said he has concerns about how successful charter schools are at providing special education.

Differences

Egan said if elected she would bring the perspective of a parent with children in the elementary schools. Only three board members have children still in Geneva schools.

Grosso, a retiree, said using his business experience has been beneficial to the district. He worked for a railroad.

Wilson cited his experience working for Shale McNutt Construction in Elgin, which specializes in school projects, as a plus when the district is discussing facility needs.

Lamb's expertise as a managing director of Nuveen Investments has come into play, as he has sat on the district's finance committee.

Juby is a substitute teacher and sits on the board of the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora.

The next forum is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Geneva High School, 416 McKinley Ave.